Going Digital Due To COVID-19

Google My Business The Free Tool

Manage your business name, location and hours as well as COVID-19 compliance. Upload pictures and video with a post for free to give your business a stronger presence in local searches for what you offer. Review and respond to feedback left about your services, food and overall customer satisfaction. Upload your menu and services you offer all for free. Increase your business awareness with these simple tasks. Add links on google for direction to your website to increase traffic and promote yourself. Have the ability to review your customer base through Google's free analytics for location they call from, your peak busy times, area codes, amount of calls received in a week, day or 3 months. Load items you sell into Google with calls to action for buying or inquiring all for free.

Google My Business Paid Advertising

Run ads on Google to start and stop at anytime you need to. There are no contracts for running your own campaigns, and there are no required amounts for deposit. The suggested amount is $10 a day, yet $5 a day works also. Furthermore you can pause the campaign with no penalties, and resume when you are ready. If you run the ads, you will see what keywords bring potential and returning customers to your business. When you have a set amount of data which is usually 3 months, you can then plan a targeted campaign for customers more likely to purchase from your business. Keep any records of your ads costs for filing your taxes in order to get the most efficient savings for your business. You are in 100% control of your ad and not a 3rd party or middle man.

Google Phone Calls

There are instances where you may receive a call from a “Google Support” advertiser. THESE ARE MOSTLY FALSE You should not ever be charged to claim your Google Listing, and be advised of running a monthly ad. What I have found is that some “Freelancers” will cold call a business and act on behalf of Google. This is wrong and manipulative. THEY must not claim to be Google but explain they are a 3rd party representation that would like you to employ their services. If you allow them to employ their services they must not be in your Google My Business as the owner. They should only be a manager.This protects you and your business from account manipulation and possible other bad intent. They must write up a contract that is agreed upon by all involved.

Google Website

If you are a small business that does not yet have a website, Google can and will provide you a free business website. If you want to have your name as the website you can have that also. (If available). The benefits of the website include more internet awareness and branding, allowing you to gain a bigger customer base. Websites in Canada should be on the .ca domain mainly because your business is local and situated in Canada. Google will consider .ca domains rank a bit higher when local searches are the customers focus. Your website can have video and pictures uploaded along with your services and product specials.

Freelancing For Local Businesses

My name is Matthew and some call me Matt. I have been following Google local business listings in Niagara for the past 2 years. There are several businesses that have not taken advantage of these free marketing and advertising tools. While so many small local businesses close up for many reasons, the main reason seems to be a small or lessening customer base. What I have started to do is share this knowledge with several small businesses in the hopes they can increase their revenue and awareness locally. Supporting local is what really needs to happen now more than ever. If COVID-19 has shown us how quickly life and work can come to a halt for many business, now is the time to rethink how digital can help you. I am here to help you with answers, and implementation.

My Google History

I have followed Googles trends, patterns, and taken digital courses. These courses are free on Google. Google Digital Garage. No cost to you to learn the way to promoting digitally. With 2 years of watching the new enhancements I feel confident enough to say I am an intermediate subject matter expert. If you would like to know more on Google, as well as incorporating your website with Google and including Facebook engagement to build your customer community, explore, explore, and get started here . One last important bit of information for you is to include the Facebook Pixel in your website so that your visitors can be retargeted while on Facebook for your business posts and events and news or products. Together we can and will bring you into a strong digital presence moving ahead.

Matthew Mikituk

If I can help bump one local business into a digital direction, maybe the momentum will carry forward.

Tips are always appreciated and help fund my coffee addition. :-)

Stay Safe, Stay Strong, Stay In Business!!!!